Anomalous Origin of Left Vertebral Artery from Carotid Bulb Seen as "Trifurcation" of Left Common Carotid Artery with Acute Infarct in Ipsilateral Thalamus: A Case Report.

Anomalous origin of vertebral arteries is not common and usually seen as an incidental finding on imaging. We report a case of anomalous origin of left vertebral artery from left carotid bulb ("trifurcation" of left common carotid artery) on magnetic resonance angiography in a 64-year old male who also had ipsilateral thalamic acute infarct.

Value of routine long bone radiographs in management of babies with a positive VDRL at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital

This retrospective study examined the records of 44 mothers and 44 babies with a positive blood VDRL test and/or who showed symptoms of congenital syphilis at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital (MHWH), Trinidad, between June 1, 1996 and September 30, 1998. Long bone radiographs of 40/44 (91) babies were assessed independently by two radiologists for signs of congenital syphilis and the data were analysed using frequency tables. Of the 44 mothers in the study, 34 (77) were VDRL positive and the rest were either negative or unknown. Maternal age ranged from 14 to 39 years and most (92) had antenatal care. Fourteen of the 34 (41) VDRL positive mothers received treatment antenatally. All mothers were asymptomatic and none had any clinical features of syphilis. In 35/44 babies, the VDRL test was positive and in nine, the test was either negative or unknown. Twenty-six of the babies had signs suggestive of congenital syphilis and in 12, (46) long bone radiographs revealed changes compatible with the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. Radiographic abnormalities were present only in infants with VDRL titres > 1:8

Value of routine long bone radiographs in management of babies with a positive VDRL at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital.

This retrospective study examined the records of 44 mothers and 44 babies with a positive blood VDRL test and/or who showed symptoms of congenital syphilis at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital (MHWH), Trinidad, between June 1, 1996 and September 30, 1998. Long bone radiographs of 40/44 (91%) babies were assessed independently by two radiologists for signs of congenital syphilis and the data were analysed using frequency tables. Of the 44 mothers in the study, 34 (77%) were VDRL positive and the rest were either negative or unknown. Maternal age ranged from 14 to 39 years and most (92%) had antenatal care. Fourteen of the 34 (41%) VDRL positive mothers received treatment antenatally. All mothers were asymptomatic and none had any clinical features of syphilis. In 35/44 babies, the VDRL test was positive and in nine, the test was either negative or unknown. Twenty-six of the babies had signs suggestive of congenital syphilis and in 12, (46%) long bone radiographs revealed changes compatible with the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. Radiographic abnormalities were present only in infants with VDRL titres > 1:8.

Contrast material and gallbladder kinetics: implications for same day sonography after intravenous pyelography or CT scanning.

Sonographic examination of the gallbladder has allowed us to study the effects of various substances on this organ. A prospective study involving 77 patients was undertaken to evaluate the effects of intravenous or oral contrast agents on gallbladder volume changes in patients without known gallbladder disease. A mean volume after contraction of 24.8% was observed after administration of intravenous contrast agent (P < 0.01) and of 31.9% after oral administration (P < 0.01). This phenomenon of contraction of the gallbladder should therefore be recognized when sonographic or computed tomographic evaluation of the gallbladder is undertaken after imaging procedures that use radiographic contrast agents either intravenously or orally.